Toros Earn Berth Into CCAA Tournament With 71-61 Win Over UC San Diego

Box Score

CARSON -- Holding its California Collegiate Athletic Association postsesaon fate in its hands, the Cal State Dominguez Hills women's basketball team put together a solid performance tonight against visiting UC San Diego, and the result was a 71-61 win that earned a berth into the league postseason tournament, set to begin on Thursday in Ontario.

Monay Lee led all scorers with 16 points in the win that snapped a four-game skid and brings the Toros to 17-9, 13-9 CCAA.

In a drastic turnaround from last night's loss to CS San Bernardino, the Toros came out loose and played free, taking control of the contest after UCSD put up the first points of the game.

The Toros built their lead to as much as 12 at 19-7 on a Lee triple with 12:53 left in the first half, with a Simone Thompson 3-pointer seven minutes later doubling UCSD's 15 points.

Another three-pointer with 1:50 left, this one by Breanne Garcia, brought CSUDH's lead to 18 before the Toros entered the break up 17 at 39-22.

As fast as the Toros built their first-half lead, the Tritons looked to reverse the table after the break, whittling their deficit to just 41-36 on an Erin Dautremont bucket with just under four minutes elapsed.

A Lee jumper and 3-pointer by Talia Rayford pushed CSUDH's lead back to double-figures two minutes later, where it remained the duration of the game as the Tritons were never able to get to within single digits the rest of the way in the 10-point Toro win.

CSUDH held firm despite losing Lee and Garcia to foul trouble, with Garcia adding 14 and Rayford and Tayler Champion 12 each in the win.

The Toros shot 40.4% from the floor and 45% from downtown, again out-rebounding the taller UCSD squad by eight, the same rebound difference in the first match-up in La Jolla in which CSUDH took an overtime thriller.

CSUDH will await its seed, opponent and game time, to be announced by the CCAA Office later tonight.

Print Friendly Version